Technology
Computational Design: The Future of How We Make Things is Tech-Driven
Future Design is Computational
Design is always changing, and never stagnant.
In the late 20th century, it was the emergence of Design Thinking that upended how architects, engineers, and industrial design organizations made decisions about how to make new things.
Now, the rapid pace of technological advancement has brought forth a new design methodology that will again forever alter the course of design history. Computational design, which takes advantage of mass computing power, machine learning, and large amounts of data, is changing the fundamental role of humans in the design process.
Designing With Billions of Data Points
Today’s infographic comes to us from Schneider Electric, and it looks at how the future of design will be driven by data and processing power.
While computational design is still a term with no real consensus, attempts to define it do have overlap:
Parameter setting
Algorithmic, “rules-based” code can be applied as constraints to test a wide variety of computer-driven designs
3d modelling and visualization tools
Complex 3d models can allow designers to test and create simulations for new ideas
Processing power
Using vast amounts of computational power and automation to make designs not before possible
Designing with data
Applying big data and powerful algorithms to create new designs
Generative design
By creating, testing, and analyzing thousands of design permutations, this approach mimics mother nature’s evolutionary path to design
While designers traditionally rely on intuition and experience to solve design problems, computational design is a new design methodology that can literally produce hundreds or thousands of design permutations to find the absolute best solution to a problem.
The Shifting Roles of Humans and Computers
Throughout history, humans have shaped the world with design.
But now that artificial intelligence is superior in taking on specific roles within the design process, humans will move towards shaping the things that shape the world.
Designers will be relinquishing control to technology, so that humans can do what they do best.
In other words, in the future, designers will work less on designing – and instead will supervise, mentor, and set the parameters for computational designs. Human designers would also interact with a broader group of stakeholders as additional inputs and the frequency of interactions increase.
A New Design Landscape
Disruption to traditional design methods brings more questions than answers:
- How will this change the value chain for design companies and professionals?
- Will AI-enabled computational design tools take the “craft” out of design?
- If automated design “assets” become commercial commodities, will that create new product and revenue channels for businesses?
- Who will own and manage all of this data, and does this create new roles and opportunities for companies?
As we give machines more design autonomy, it will be interesting to see how this literally changes the shape and design of objects that make up the real world.
Brands
How Tech Logos Have Evolved Over Time
From complete overhauls to more subtle tweaks, these tech logos have had quite a journey. Featuring: Google, Apple, and more.
How Tech Logos Have Evolved Over Time
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
One would be hard-pressed to find a company that has never changed its logo. Granted, some brands—like Rolex, IBM, and Coca-Cola—tend to just have more minimalistic updates. But other companies undergo an entire identity change, thus necessitating a full overhaul.
In this graphic, we visualized the evolution of prominent tech companies’ logos over time. All of these brands ranked highly in a Q1 2024 YouGov study of America’s most famous tech brands. The logo changes are sourced from 1000logos.net.
How Many Times Has Google Changed Its Logo?
Google and Facebook share a 98% fame rating according to YouGov. But while Facebook’s rise was captured in The Social Network (2010), Google’s history tends to be a little less lionized in popular culture.
For example, Google was initially called “Backrub” because it analyzed “back links” to understand how important a website was. Since its founding, Google has undergone eight logo changes, finally settling on its current one in 2015.
Company | Number of Logo Changes |
---|---|
8 | |
HP | 8 |
Amazon | 6 |
Microsoft | 6 |
Samsung | 6 |
Apple | 5* |
Note: *Includes color changes. Source: 1000Logos.net
Another fun origin story is Microsoft, which started off as Traf-O-Data, a traffic counter reading company that generated reports for traffic engineers. By 1975, the company was renamed. But it wasn’t until 2012 that Microsoft put the iconic Windows logo—still the most popular desktop operating system—alongside its name.
And then there’s Samsung, which started as a grocery trading store in 1938. Its pivot to electronics started in the 1970s with black and white television sets. For 55 years, the company kept some form of stars from its first logo, until 1993, when the iconic encircled blue Samsung logo debuted.
Finally, Apple’s first logo in 1976 featured Isaac Newton reading under a tree—moments before an apple fell on his head. Two years later, the iconic bitten apple logo would be designed at Steve Jobs’ behest, and it would take another two decades for it to go monochrome.
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